In a free induction decay (“FID”) based frequency encoding magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) experiment, the central part of k-space is generally not accessible due to the probe dead time, which is crucial for image reconstruction. Single point imaging (“SPI”) gives good quality images as a pure phase encoding technique. Single point ramped imaging with T1 enhancement (“SPRITE”) is known in the art [10]. SPI with a linearly ramped phase encoded gradient, has been used for short relaxation time systems for many years. As it requires high magnetic field gradient strengths, short encoding times, and low flip angle radio frequency (“RF”) pulses to cover the sample bandwidth, the sensitivity (signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”) over square root of acquisition time) is sub-optimal, especially for low field systems.